jackson



Oct. 1, 1929.

R. s. JACKSON 1,729,832

DECORATBD FLOOR COVERING Filed July 25 1925 mw'o" Patented ca. 1, 1929 PATENT v OFFICE Y JBALPH G. JACKSON, i WOODBUBY, NEW JERSEY DECORATED FLOOR COVERING Application filed July 25, 1925. Serial H0. @8 1.

This invention relates to an improvement in floor coverings of the type known as water proof and flexible, and it pertains particularly to the manner of decorating such coverings and to the steps by which the decorations are incorporated during the manufacture of the article.

The invention includes, as an important feature, the use of a previously decorted sheet 10 applied to and supported by the usual water proof flexible base.

Heretofore, it has been customary to paint felt base floor coverings with decorative effects and to mix pigment with the plastic materials used in the linoleum type ofcovering. It is impracticable to produce fine decorations by such methods. The painting of felt base goods with the usual linseed oil painted decorations is subject to several limigo tations. First, the fineness-of the effects are subject to the steps of the operation in which the colors are appliedby passing a coated base through a'large printing machme where linseed oil colors are block printed or otherwise stamped onto the base. The operation is expensive because of the time re uired for handling and drying. A printe sheet of felt base goods is placed in a drying rack for approximately one week and subjected to a temperature of approximately 130 F. Eachpamt layer must be properly dried in the order of its application. Only after such treatment may the goods be prepared for shipment.

pigment is used with a plastic material, it is "not possible to obtain delicate effects because of the difficulty in working-the plas'ticfmatter in exceeding fine lines or layers. l

By the present improvementflshe base receives a previously formed andsdecorated,

' whichhas beeniprinted,lafterij dughfaiid compact-pr duct.

""aiit of-ft ease of a s'atiira'md paper which:hasql.

In the manufacture of linoleum in which 7 ,7 Floo patternsmarer-a' p ie'dya-and H,

been impregnated throughoutwith the material which not only toughens thepaper and which of itself resists wear, but may also serve as an adhesive material for securing the paper sheet to the base; The adhesive material may be applied to the base and to the previously decorated impregnated and dried paper, or an extra amount may be used on the base side of an unimpregnated sheet to serve,

both as an adhesiveand as a saturant for the paper of the sheet.

Another feature of the invention is the use I with the use of an absorbent and decorative paper, the same cellulose ester material serves both as a saturant for the paper and when dried provides a satisfactory wear coat which protects the decorated paper and is trans parent so that the decorativekefiect maybe viewed clearly. therethrough;

The above and additional details are 'de-' scribed and claimed in the following specification and claims, and may be understood in conjunction with the drawing in which -F igure 1 represents diagrammatic lly a top lan view of a strip of completed floor cover-u 111g bearing aconventional geometric design;

Figure 2.is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken on the line 22 of Figure 1 showin the several layers of the floor covering.

e er i g eta iltothe,drayving,.l indibeen previously saturated with mdieedam d;

tough-i2 Aish s eipaiier decoration may thus be evident and fully visible until the floor coverin is used or worn completel through the thickness of the paper. 'Vghen the decoration is applied to the paper, the fibers of the paper are absorbent with the result that the coloring medium may extend through the thickness of the paper. After the decoration has been applied, the paper sheet may be treated with the saturating medium for the purpose of rendering the sheet water proof and toughening it. Thus, if the coloring medium be an ink or dye, it penetrates without leaving an inpervious coating on the paper sheet, and the sheet thus decorated may be thereafter saturated throughout with the waterproofing agent. a

An outer wear coat 3 of transparent material may be used for protecting the deedrated paper sheet. This wear coat has an important function in the present invention because it not merely serves as a coating, but

. also, if used on an unsaturated paper, serves as an impregnating saturant for the paper, rendering the coated and impregnated material resistant to wear and tough and stiif,

' which properties are important in floor covermgs.

If desired a quick dryin adhesive may be used at 1 for attachin theprinted paper sheet 2 to the base 1. The sheet may be or ma not be saturated with a quick drying material before it is applied to the base. Under some. circumstances, the wear coat might be dispensed with if the sheet is properlyv toughened b suitable saturant.

One satis actory solution for the material of the cellulose estersaturant and also for the adhesive material 1, and the coating 3 may be made by using 20 parts by weight of dry pyroxylin,

nitrocotton, in a solvent mixture composed of 30 parts of either or both butyl alcohol or amyl acetate plus 30 parts by weight of anhydrous denatured ethyl alcohol. 20 to 30 arts by weight of raw castor oil may be a ded'as-a softener.- Tricresyl phosphate or diethyl or dibutyl thalate may be used as softeners in the same proportions as specified for the use of castor oil.

Other proportions and other materials -may be used without departing from the;

scope of the present invention. It is impor= tant, however, that the material of the solvent does not act to dissolve the bitumen of the base or the color of'the decorative lines before the material dries and loses its liquid properties.

Atno time in this process is there reuired any long period of drying time, .and t e process of printing the decorations onthe paper is comparatively simple and many times faster for treating aper alonethan is the' process now used in ecorating the usual floor covering bases. The decorated paper may finer work may be produced in a decorative and artistic way with the machinery and materials such as are used in the printing of.

paper than can be obtained in the usual printing of floor coverings such as those using oil paints and the block printing.

The paper appliedto the base is preferably of such texture that the inks or printing materials can impregnate, penetrate, it

The term color is used to describe the material of the decoration whether it be ink or paint and regardless as to whether it be a truecolor or white or black.

I claim 1. In a floor covering of the smooth surface type, a stiff and tough base water-proofed throughout with a saturant filling material, a decorative sheet of fibrous material superposed on said base and bearing designs on the surface thereof and impregnating the body of the sheet, and a water-proof saturant filling material extending throughout the thickness of said decorative sheet and applied to said sheet subsequently to the decoration thereof, the decoration being visible on the upper surface of the covering and the materm] of said fibrous sheet being visible through the water-proofing material with which it is saturated.

2. In a floor covering of the smooth surface type, a stifi and tough base water-proofed throughout its thickness with a saturant filling material, a decorative sheet of pa r like fibrous material superposed on said ase and bearin decorative colors on the surface thereof and impregnating the bod of said urant filling material, a decorative and waterproofed fibrous sheet superposed on said basei and a transparent wear coat covering sai paper-like sheet, and a water proo saturant decorative sheet, said decorative sheet being saturated throughout with a water-proofing saturant transparent filling material, and

uaassa the decorations and fibers of said sheet being visible through the water-proofing material and through said transparent wear coat.

4. In a floor covering of the smooth surface type, a stiff and tough base water-proofed throughout its thickness with a saturant filling material, a decorative coverin secured to said base and comprising a paper- 'ke sheet of fibrous material bearing previously applied printed decorations directly on the paper-like material and impregnating the body of the sheet, and a transparent wear coat covering said decorative sheet, said printed decorations being 'visiblethrough said transparent wear coat. 7

5. .In a floor covering of the smooth sur-' urant filling material, a fibrous decorative sheet superposed on said base and bearing designs in colors impregnating the fibers in the body thereof, and a transparent waterproof saturant covering said decorative sheet and permeatin thronghoutthe thickness of said sheet and inding said base, the decora tions of the colors in said sheet being visible on the upper surface of the completed covering and through said saturant.

7. In a floor covering of the smooth surface type, an impregnated, felt base containing a bitumen saturant throughout itssurface, a decorated covering glued to said base and comprising a paper-like sheet bearin previously applied printed decorations 'rectly on and impregnatin the body of the paper-like material of said'sheet, and an adhesive between said base and said decorated paper-like covering, said adhesive containing a solvent and characterized by its adherence to both said saturated base and said decorated sheet without the solvent thereof dissolving the saturant of the base or the decorative colors of the sheet.

8. In a floor covering of the smooth surface type, an impregnated felt base containing a bitumen saturant throughout its surface, a decorated covering gluedto said base and comprising a paper-like sheet bearing pre- 1 viously applied printed decorations which impregnate the body of the sheet and netrate into the fibers thereof, said sheet ing impregnated throughout with a quick drying water-proof saturant which penetrates the decorated portion and is applied subsequently to the decoration, and an adhesive between said base andsaid decorative covering, said adhesive containing a solvent and characterized by its adherence to both said saturated base and said decorative covering without the solvent thereof dissolving the saturant of the base or the decorative colors of the covermg.

9. In a floor covering, a stiff and tough base water-proofed throughout its thickness with a saturant filling material, and superposed thereon a decorated sheet having printed decorations, the colors of which-extend though the thickness of the sheet and are also visible on the upper surface of the sheet. I

10. In afloor covering, a stiff and tough base water-proofed throughout its thickness with a saturant filling material, and superposed thereon a decorated sheet bearing printed decorations, the colors of which extend through the thickness of the sheet and are also visible on the upper surface of the sheet, said sheet being impregnated throughout with a transparent water-proof saturant.

11. In a floor covering, a stiff and tough base water-proofed throughout its thickness with a saturant filling material, a decorated sheetsuperposed on said base and bearing decorations, the colors of which impregnate the body of the sheet, anda transparent water-proof saturant filling material extending throughout said sheet and with which the sheet 1s impregnatedand applied after said decorations are applied.

12. In a' floor covering, a stiff and tough base water-proofed throughout its thickness I with a saturant filling material, and superposed thereon a tough, waterproof and dense decorated sheet bearing decorations, the colors of which impregnate the body of the sheet "and are also visible on the fipper surface of the sheet. 13; In a floor covering .of the smooth surface type, a tough flexible supporting base containing a water proof saturant, and mounted on said base a layer comprising a sheet of '=fibrous material impregnated throughout with a transparent saturant filling material which fills the voids between the fibers whereby the fibrous particles are visible through the fillingmaterial,

14. In a floor coverin of the smooth surface type, a tough flexi le supporting base containing a water proof saturant, and mounted on said base a layer comprising a sheet of absorbent fibrous material impregnated throughout with a transparent saturant fillin material which fills the voids between the bers whereby the fibrous particles are visible through the filling materiaL' 15'. In a floor coverin of the smooth surface type, a tough flexi 1e supporting base mounted on said base a layer comprising a sheet of absorbent fibrous material impregnated throughout with atransparent saturant filling material including a cellulose ester in solution which fills the voids between the fibers whereby the fibrous particles are visible through the filling material.

16. In a floor covering of the smooth surface type, a tough'fiexible supporting base containing a water proof saturant, and mounted thereon a layer of fibrous material containing a coloring medium extending throughout the thickness of said layer, an a transparent saturant sealing material impregnating throughout the layer and toughening the-same and sealing the coloring medium within the layer.

17 In a floor covering of the smooth surface type, a decorative wear sheet comprisin a sheet of fibrous material bearing printed decorations impregnating the body of said sheet, and a transparent saturant filling material impregnating said sheet and applied after said decorations and toughening the sheet and sealing the decorations within the sheet. 7

18. In a floor covering of the smooth surface type, a tough flexible supporting base containing a water proof saturant, a layer mounted on said base and comprising a sheet of fibrous material impregnated throughout \with a transparent saturant filling material,

and a cementing material between said sup- }porlting base and said sheet and adherent to i 19. In a floor covering of a smooth surface type, a tough flexible supportingbase containing a water proof saturant, a decorative sheet mounted on said base and comprising a layer of fibrous material having a coloring medium impregnating the body thereof, a transparent saturant sealing material impregnating the layer of fibrous material and toughening the same and sealing the coloring medium within the sheet, and a cementing material between said base and said "decorative'sheet and adherent-to both and to the 'saturant of the sheet. 7

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

- RALPH G. JACKSON, 

